Saturday, January 31, 2015

Sixty Six percent of Americans say
the snack between meals in 2014. Call it will you will, small meals, snacking,
gap-meals, price-points, or fill-ups consumers are electing to drive food
retail frequency numbers increasingly looking for a meal substitute.

In a new Packaged Facts study found
eating less was better for you and restaurants agree. The study found that “Restaurant
menu innovation clearly acknowledges the blurring of traditional mealtimes in
favor of snacking and smaller meals.”

Packaged Facts found that “a snack
is often viewed as a healthier alternative to an entire meal; snacks cost less
than typical entrees, appealing to cost-conscious patrons; and snacks are
suitable for today's 24/7 on-the-go consumers, who are less inclined to plan
their day around traditional mealtimes.”

Packaged Facts identifies five
trends at play in marketing menu items as being a viable snack or shareable
innovation:

Sliders. While sliders have become an
appetizer menu stalwart, they have also branched well beyond the confines
of the burger.

Sampler platters. Sampler platters allow more
customers to get greater variety while managing their cost per party. And
restaurant operators can showcase their signature items in the bargain.
Modernizing sampler platters translates to customizable options, signature
items and creative sauces.

Shareable items. While sampler platters are
designed for sharing and often promoted as such, restaurant operators are
also positioning regular menu items as "shareable."

Friday, January 30, 2015

Dine-In or Take-Out Fresh
Prepared Food is Key. Growing grocery grocerant
niche success is one success clues no supermarket operator can overlook
while consumers are still price-conscious.Today, consumers desire for time savings, money savings, and flavorful Ready-2-Eat
and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food is ingrained in shopping behavior according
to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru™.

In a recent study by Acosta Sales &
Marketing, found that foodservice continues to be a growth category for grocery
retailers, and one that by most accounts is here for the long haul. Acosta
found that “In the past year, nearly three-quarters of supermarket consumers
have taken home and eaten prepared foods from the grocery store, and more than
half have consumed such items in their markets’ dining areas.”

Mark Hayden, president of Acosta
Foodservice for the Jacksonville, Fla.-based marketing consultancy stated “I
believe there is tremendous opportunity for grocery stores to shift from the
historical ingredient/component approach we have seen for many years,”

Much of the research was from “The
Why? Behind The Dine, a July 2014 survey of 1,500 U.S. foodservice consumers,
conducted in partnership with Chicago-based Technomic, indicates that consumers
view retail foodservice as a convenient opportunity for them to grab a meal for
themselves or the entire family. Indeed, lines have blurred to create the
“grocerant” — grocery store as restaurant — where ready-to-eat meals have been
a major growth area.”

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Ikea can do it,
Walgreens can do it, Pinkies Liquor Stores can do it and, so ca you!Yes, non-traditional fresh food retailers are
entering the Grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh
prepared meals and meal components one after the other and you can too.

Successful retailers
that listen to their customers evolve the halo of the brand with the customers
are sure to find on-going success according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant
Guru™.That is just what Vitamin Shoppe
is doing by adding prepared food in it’s retail locations in an effort to meet
customers demand for ‘better for you’ fresh prepared food.

The North Bergen-based retailer Vitamin
Shoppe Inc., “as part of an effort to broaden its sales reach beyond vitamin
supplements, is testing sales of prepared, refrigerated calorie-controlled
meals in 10 stores, including three in North Jersey.”…

“Refrigerator walls containing prepared
foods have been added at Vitamin Shoppe stores in Paramus, Wayne and Little
Falls. The company picked stores in New Jersey and New York for the trial run
because of their proximity to company headquarters.”

The calorie-controlled meals offering
meal components the ilk of vegetable lasagna, Paleo barbecued pork and chickpea
and quinoa salads were co-created and are prepared by the California-based
healthy meals company Fitzee Foods at a commercial kitchen on Long Island.

The Vitamin Shoppe, with more than 700
stores nationwide goal os to broaden our customers' view of us, and get them
looking at us more as a health and wellness brand," said Doug Jones,
senior vice president of merchandising.

The meals offered are portioned in
single-serving containers and marked with calorie and nutritional information.
Each stores is stocked with 17 menu items, including breakfast, lunch and
dinner offerings, with entrees priced at $6.99 to $8.99, and salads costing
$5.99.

"We really tried to build the menu
to appeal to a large customer base," Jones said. "We've got some
ethnic food — Thai, Indian, Italian — as well as vegetarian and gluten and
dairy-free options." The meals, he said, "are all-natural and very clean,
with no added preservatives. There are no ingredients you won't be able to
pronounce."

Are you ready to Grow?
Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment,
grocerant scorecard, brand, or product placement assistance.Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.usof Tacoma, WA has been the
global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Fresh prepared food
mix and match meal bundling is a key driver for the success found within the
C-store sector.The C-store sector
has just about doubled in size over the last three decades. At year-end 1984,
the store count was 85,300 stores, at year-end 1994 the store count was 98,200
stores and at year-end 2004 the store count was 138,205 stores.

Evolving customers
drive change and Sheetz is a great company to follow if you looking for
success. Sheetz formerly a C-store now a “convenient restaurant” and Wawa once
a C-store now a “fast casual To-Go” outlet have grown same store sales focusing
on selling fresh food meal components customers can mix and match into a
personalized or customized family meals.

So when The NPD Group
reported, approximately 70 percent of consumers won't try new menu items, in a
new report, Menu Item Trial: Motivating First-Time and Repeat Orders.
Convenience store operators were not surprised. Their success has come from
bundling consumer favorites, offering an extended set of fresh prepared food
product offerings that restaurants simply can’t compete with today.

NPD also reported
that of consumers 30 percent are "early adopters," of new menu items
and only “17 percent will order a brand-new item and 10 percent will try
a limited-time offer item.”Having many more items in both the
Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared category provides a platform for
trial and flavor profile innovation.

The convenience
sector has been stimulating menu-item trail and innovation in multiple
categories of Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh at an ever increasing rate. That
innovation has proven successful as the conveniences sector continues to
increase Same Store Sales at a rate much higher than the restaurant sector.

www.FoodserviceSolutions.usspecializes in outsourced business development. We can help you
identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or
a brand leveraging integration strategy. Foodservice Solutions of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit
Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or
twitter.com/grocerant

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

The future of
the family dinner can be found within the Grocerant Niche. So what is a
Grocerant? Foodservice
Solutions® Grocerant Guru says this "Grocerant means any retail food item
that is Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eatprepared fresh. The word Grocerant is a result of the blurring of
the line between restaurants and grocery stores.

In reality a grocerant is where a consumer can find fresh
prepared food aimed at the time-starved consumer with Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat
fresh prepared meals or meal components that can be bundled into a meal and or
packaged for Take-Out, Take-Away, or To-Go.

Its 4 PM: your customers
are just beginning to think about what's for dinner. 81% of American consumers
are unsure about what's for dinner. Time Starved Consumers are looking for
high quality ready to eat foods and ready to heat meals. Today's time starved
consumer wants to purchase meal components that they can bundle into a
customized family meal that will please everyone without spending time cooking.

Most
consumers may traditionally think these items can be or are found in grocery
stores in the deli / lifestyle section, C-stores in the prepared food area and
prepackaged, ready to eat items and in restaurants under the To-go, takeout or
take away or delivery section of the menu or on the website. The retail
industry has expanded and is evolving to keep up with the demands of consumers
desire to save time, improve quality, increase family flavor profile, while
enabling personalization and family meal customization.

Examples of Grocerants

Restaurant examples are
McDonalds, Pret A Manger Burger King, Pizza Hut,
Papa Murphy's and Starbucks, each having a fresh Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat
fresh prepared food. In the Casual Dining sector Maggiano's Little Italy offers
a buy one take a 2nd home for free in their Classic Pastas menu
section, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Boston Market and Denny’s.That is to name but a few.

Clothing Stores Tommy
Bahama, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Brooks Brothers all have or are planning restaurants
selling fresh prepared food in-store. Fresh prepared Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat
food is garnering consumer favor in this sector.Expect to find more and more clothing
retailers entering the grocerant niche.

Furniture Stores & Liquor Store example Ikea sells over $ 2
Billion a year in Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food in its stores
(mostly meatballs-mash potatoes),Pinkies
in San Angelo, Texas this past holiday season even offered complete fresh
prepared full Turkey Dinners will all of the traditional side orders.All of the fresh prepared food is prepared on
site and sold To-Go.

Supermarket examples are Whole Foods, Trader-Joes, Central Market, and Wegmans
sell fresh prepared chicken, salads, sandwiches and most offer sushi and
beverages. Many are now opening in-store restaurants including fast food, full
service sit down and bars all offer fresh prepared To-Go as well.

The retail supermarket and convenience store sector have unique
grocerant challenges. Presentation of the Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat fresh
prepared food is important. When you get a meal at a restaurant, the plate and
the food look great… let's call this "food for now". Many legacy
retailers are primarily selling "food for later" or take-out and
unless an item is a sandwich, the looks of Ready-2-Eat meals and snacks begin
to change.

Why is it so hard to package food to go? In the Hot food section
of the grocery store the food in most cases does not look appealing so our
expectations drop when we get it for Take-Away. That may be one reason that
many grocery stores are continue to open restaurants or “food courts” selling
made to order fresh sandwiches or Chinese take-out.In convenience stores like Wawa, the
Ready-2-Eat food looks great in the To-Go containers. Why? Because Wawa puts
the entire consumer food package together. They exert more control on the look
and feel of "food for later".

Around the world we are now seeing sections in department's
stores and kiosk in malls in Europe and Asia and airports around the world. The
items can range from entrees to side items and deserts. Some examples of items
range from fried chicken, mash potatoes, cream spinach, to liver and onions,
pizza, hot dogs, steak, prime rib, various casseroles (hot-dish) to salads,
side salads pie, cake and any single proportioned deserts. They can be picked
up at the specific unit, or delivered.

Visit:
www.FoodserviceSolutions.usif you are interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food
Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for
consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation
and individualization or you can learn more at Facebook.com/Steven Johnson, Linkedin.com/in/grocerant or
twitter.com/grocerant